Once upon a time, having a dining room was the reserve of the upper echelons of society - a room designed to entertain, look perfect and encourage perfect manners. It was a space to showcase your finest bone china and silver utensils. Until recently, it was quite common to find a dining room reserved for those special occasions, mostly since families usually ate in the kitchen. Now it has all changed; modern day families use their dining rooms for a variety of purposes. Today's spaces need to be comfortable and flexible. The following tips will help make your dining room inviting and functional:
Every job needs a homeIn the majority of homes the dining room table is the largest flat surface in the house, if not the only useable surface outside of the kitchen. Whether you need to wrap presents, work on a school or business project, or even type your memoirs this is the best space to do it in. Paperwork can easily be cleared away during meal times. This raises the need for a durable table which does not scratch easily.
The storage facilities in a dining room are now rarely designed for the good dishes; these have a place in a glass fronted cabinet in the kitchen. Instead, the dining area will have the household paperwork, the home office supplies and maybe even some toys!
Mixing it upOne of the side effects of the dining room being used daily for a variety of jobs is that it is much more likely that the furniture will become damaged. Chairs are one of the easiest victims. A simple way round this, which is in keep with current designer trends, is to mix the furniture. If you have metal chairs, have a wooden table maybe with an ornate, flowery sideboard. Mixed items reflect the multi-purpose room they occupy and they allow for replacement of individual part should the worse happen.
Contrasting furniture is now seen as making a bold statement and not bad design. Another option is to buy different chairs; making sure everyone is unique in the room. These chairs can be painted and recovered the same color to give a uniform look to the chaos. Even the best china is now often mixed with modern day dishes to create that everyday feel. This is one of the best rooms in the house to try out the bold, bright nuances you have always wanted to use but worry will become overpowering.
In the past, if you were to drop a plate there would be a stunned silence followed by serious ramifications. Modern dining rooms have moved past this and become family friendly places. A broken plate will be cleared up and everything just moves on. Even at dinner parties, it is no longer eat and back to the sitting room. A dining room is now a very comfortable space. It makes you and your guests want to stay longer. Chairs need to be comfortable to encourage this feeling.
The kitchenHistorically, the food appeared on the table. People were not interested in how it got there or how it was made. Now, cooking for guests is more like putting on a show. They want to watch what you are doing and interact. Equally, this provides the cook the opportunity to be involved in the conversation and not just stuck in the kitchen.
Merging the kitchen with the dining room not only allows for a better atmosphere when preparing the food it also takes away the formality of a separate room and allows everyone to relax and enjoy the experience. A final touch in your modern dining room is to ensure you have soft lighting. This warm glow will ensure everyone looks and feels good.
There are lots of ideas for dining room furniture, although sometimes it's best to work within a given budget and not go overboard. Believe it or not, handmade furniture is not that expensive. A professional will listen to your demands and he will manufacture the pieces according to your needs without sacrificing the design. Bottom line, that's what we all want from our decor - to look expensive and chic without actually being expensive.
